The chief of the production, exploration and development unit or upstream division, Bernard Looney, has appointed several executives including a new head of production and a new head of drilling, BP told Reuters.

Gordon Birrell, who previously headed BP in Azerbaijan, will become chief operating officer for production, transformation and carbon in the BP upstream segment, reporting to Looney.

Based in London, he will be responsible for global operations, global wells, global procurement, supply chain management and upstream engineering.

He will also be accountable for upstream modernization and lead the development of the upstream approach to a low-carbon future, BP said.

Andy Krieger will become the new head of drilling. Krieger, previously vice-president for drilling in the Gulf of Mexico, will report to Birrell.

The previous head of drilling, Gary Jones, will lead operations in Azerbaijan. The country is a key global growth area where the company wants to expand the giant ACG oilfields and the Shah Deniz gas development.